Chronic Back Pain
It was Christmas Eve, intense back pain had landed me in the hospital, and I’d never felt lower in my life.
The Difficult Choice of Getting an Elective Double Mastectomy
In late September 2001—it was already a bad month—my sister Mary, who had just turned 33, learned she had breast cancer. Her doctor suggested the rest of us get tested for the BRCA2 gene, which increases the risk of breast cancer. One in every 800 women carry that gene, and my doctor told me that if I had it, I’d have about an 85 percent chance of developing cancer, given my family history.
Long-Term Caregiving
I came home from work one day in 2000 and knew something was wrong. My wife, Wendy, a graphic designer, was 49 at the time. She was sitting at the table having a glass of wine. I asked her what happened and she said, “I don’t know. I was on the 55 Freeway. I was stopped in traffic. Everything turned white. Next thing I know, cars were honking at me. I worked my way off the freeway, and took surface streets home.”
Devastating Depression
One morning, I woke up and literally could not get out of bed. It’s the most awkward and crazy thing I’ve ever felt. At the time I was 31. I was physically fit. But it was like a brick wall had been built on top of my body overnight. It was frightening.
Losing My Breast
I was 52 and leaving my husband and home of 28 years, moving to a cute condo on my own. I threw away the reminder for my annual mammogram. I had no time for a pebble in my left breast when I was moving, teaching, dealing with two emotional young-adult daughters.
Doctors by Specialty: P
Pathology Aaron Franklin Sassoon
Hematopathology
St. Joseph Hospital-Pathology, 1100 W. Stewart Drive, Orange, 714-771-8176
Pathology-Anatomic and Clinical Shu-Yuan Liao
Gynecologic pathologyand breast pathology
St. Joseph Hospital-Pathology,
1100 W. Stewart Drive, Orange, 714-771-8175Pediatric Allergy &
Doctors by Specialty: K–O
Maternal and Fetal Medicine Judith Hyunsuk Chung
Health services research
UCI Manchester Pavilion,
200 S. Manchester Blvd. #600,
Orange, 714-456-2911Carol Ann Major
Diabetes and pregnancy
UCI Medical Center,
101 The City Drive S.
Building 56, Orange, 714-456-6707Deborah A. Wing
Maternal and fetal medicine
UCI Medical Center-Obstetrics & Gyn
